An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth

A holy man to Hindus, a hero to Muslims, and a criminal to the British, Mohandas K. Gandhi was an inspiring figure of the 20th century, a man whose quest to live in accord with God's highest truth led him to initiate massive campaigns against racism, violence, and colonialism.

Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor

Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway's visionary vice chairman and Warren Buffett's indispensable financial partner, has outperformed market indexes again and again, and he believes any investor can do the same. His notion of "elementary, worldly wisdom" - a set of interdisciplinary mental models involving economics, business, psychology, ethics, and management - allows him to keep his emotions out of his investments and avoid the common pitfalls of bad judgment.

If I Could Tell You Just One Thing: Encounters with Remarkable People and Their Most Valuable Advice

Richard Reed built Innocent Drinks from a smoothie stall on a street corner to one of the biggest brands in Britain. He credits his success to four brilliant pieces of advice, each given to him just when he needed them most. Ever since, it has been Richard's habit, whenever he meets somebody he admires, to ask them for their best piece of advice. If they could tell him just one thing, what would it be? Richard has collected pearls of wisdom from some of the most remarkable, inspiring and game-changing people in the world.

Meditations

One of the most significant books ever written by a head of State, the Meditations are a collection of philosophical thoughts by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 ce). Covering issues such as duty, forgiveness, brotherhood, strength in adversity and the best way to approach life and death, the Meditations have inspired thinkers, poets and politicians since their first publication more than 500 years ago. Today, the book stands as one of the great guides and companions - a cornerstone of Western thought.

Elon Musk

South African-born Elon Musk is the renowned entrepreneur and innovator behind PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity. Musk wants to save our planet; he wants to send citizens into space, to form a colony on Mars; he wants to make money while doing these things; and he wants us all to know about it. He is the real-life inspiration for the Iron Man series of films starring Robert Downey, Jr. The personal tale of Musk's life comes with all the trappings one associates with a great, drama-filled story.

The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

This is a book about 10 "Great Ideas". Each chapter is an attempt to savor one idea that has been discovered by several of the world's civilizations - to question it in light of what we now know from scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives.

The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future

Much of what will happen in the next 30 years is inevitable, driven by technological trends that are already in motion. In this fascinating, provocative new book, Kevin Kelly provides an optimistic road map for the future, showing how the coming changes in our lives - from virtual reality in the home to an on-demand economy to artificial intelligence embedded in everything we manufacture - can be understood as the result of a few long-term accelerating forces.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis - that of white working-class Americans. The decline of this group, a demographic of our country that has been slowly disintegrating over 40 years, has been reported on with growing frequency and alarm but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.

Thoreau: Walden / Civil Disobedience (Unabridged)

In 1845 Henry David Thoreau, one of the principal New England Transcendentalists, left the small town of Concord for the country. Beside the lake of Walden he built himself a log cabin and returned to nature, to observe and reflect - while surviving on eight dollars a year. From this experience emerged Walden, one of the great classics of American literature.

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

Chronicling his embodiment of the American Dream, Total Recall covers Schwarzenegger's high-stakes journey to the United States, from creating the international bodybuilding industry out of the sands of Venice Beach, to breathing life into cinema's most iconic characters, and becoming one of the leading political figures of our time. Proud of his accomplishments and honest about his regrets, Schwarzenegger spares nothing in sharing his amazing story.

Superforcasting: The Art and Science of Prediction

Everyone would benefit from seeing further into the future, whether buying stocks, crafting policy, launching a new product, or simply planning the week's meals. Unfortunately, people tend to be terrible forecasters. As Wharton professor Philip Tetlock showed in a landmark 2005 study, even experts' predictions are only slightly better than chance. However, an important and underreported conclusion of that study was that some experts do have real foresight.

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

All our lives are constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we accept? What balance of new activities and familiar favorites is the most fulfilling? These may seem like uniquely human quandaries, but they are not: computers, too, face the same constraints, so computer scientists have been grappling with their version of such problems for decades.

The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance

The Art of Learning takes listeners through Waitzkin's unique journey to excellence. He explains in clear detail how a well-thought-out, principled approach to learning is what separates success from failure. Waitzkin believes that achievement, even at the championship level, is a function of a lifestyle that fuels a creative, resilient growth process.

The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for The Thoughtful Investor

Howard Marks, the chairman and cofounder of Oaktree Capital Management, is renowned for his insightful assessments of market opportunity and risk. After four decades spent ascending to the top of the investment management profession, he is today sought out by the world's leading value investors, and his client memos brim with insightful commentary and a time-tested, fundamental philosophy. The Most Important Thing explains the keys to successful investment and the pitfalls that can destroy capital or ruin a career.

Fear: Our Ultimate Challenge

Sir Ranulph Fiennes has climbed the Eiger and Mount Everest. He's crossed both Poles on foot. He's been a member of the SAS and fought a bloody guerrilla war in Oman. And yet he confesses that his fear of heights is so great that he'd rather send his wife up a ladder to clean the gutters than do it himself. In Fear, the world's greatest explorer delves into his own experiences to try to explain what fear is, how it happens and how he's overcome it so successfully.

Man's Search for Meaning

Internationally renowned psychiatrist, Viktor E. Frankl, endured years of unspeakable horror in Nazi death camps. During, and partly because of his suffering, Dr. Frankl developed a revolutionary approach to psychotherapy known as logotherapy. At the core of his theory is the belief that man's primary motivational force is his search for meaning.

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, Joshua Foer's part-memoir, part-guide on mastering your memory. Read by Mike Chamberlain. On average, people squander forty days annually trying to remember things they've forgotten. Joshua Foer used to be one of those people. But after a year of training, he found himself in the finals of the U.S.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Why do naturally talented people frequently fail to reach their potential while other far less gifted individuals go on to achieve amazing things? The secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a passionate persistence. In other words, grit. MacArthur Genius Award-winning psychologist Angela Duckworth shares fascinating new revelations about who succeeds in life and why.

Publisher's Summary

Ben Franklin's own lively story of his early years is a unique, fascinating, and influential look at this American founding father. It has been taught in schools as a moral tract, as a guide to self-improvement, and as the Great American Success Story. It also is relished both for its insight into colonial life and the mind of the man who most affected the development of our democratic form of government. Finally, it is savored for its language; Franklin's wit, his well-turned phrase, and his humanity shine through.

As one of the founding fathers, Franklin holds an important position in the history of the world, not just the United States. How the men of Franklin's era - many of them relatively young - thought the way they did, articulated those ideas and, most importantly, acted on them is inspirational.

The narration is particularly good - he really seems to capture the spirit of the man.

The reader is superb. As the book continues I can't help but feel as though Franklin himself is talking to me. It is everything an audio autobiography should be.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Karen

Alpharetta, GA, USA

25/09/07

Overall

"Interesting"

I admit, I listened to this one while I was painting a room in my house. Since it's written in first person, it was like having Ben in the room with me while I was working. I chose this book since I knew I was going to see the Ben Franklin exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and the exhibit mirros much of the book. What an open thinker he was!

10 of 12 people found this review helpful

Sherief Ayoub

14/04/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Best version"

What about Fredd Wayne’s performance did you like?

I have listened to other versions of BF Autobio and Mr Wayne's narration is by far the best.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Sapote

31/10/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Outstanding narration"

Would you consider the audio edition of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin to be better than the print version?

Yes, because this narrator was so expressive as Ben that it was as if I was listening to the actual Benjamin Franklin telling me his story.

Which character – as performed by Fredd Wayne – was your favorite?

He WAS Benjamin Franklin.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Charla

Fort Lupton, CO, USA

04/09/08

Overall

"Worth your time"

I enjoy autobiographies over biographies. What is included or excluded and how it is portrayed lends great insight to the subject.

Very enjoyable and worth listening to!

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Brad

Northfield, MN, United States

02/04/11

Overall

"Tough Read"

I had a difficult time following the vernacular in this book. And I was disappointed that the story covered so little of Benjamin Franklins experiments (e.g. electricity) and no information about his involvement in the Continental Congress.

2 of 5 people found this review helpful

KATHLEEN WELLS

11/09/11

Overall

Performance

Story

"Okay but really not what I was looking for"

Book has stories of Ben Franklin but I thought it would tell more about his steps to become a better person and this was only about 2 pages of the book. So I was disappointed.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

Marc

McLouth, KS, United States

25/03/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"along about 1750,the book abruptly ends"

What did you like best about The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin? What did you like least?

absolutely HATED the fact that the book abruptly ends..am I missing Part Two?

What could Benjamin Franklin have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

finish it

What else would you have wanted to know about Benjamin Franklin’s life?

the rest of it

Any additional comments?

any additional content? where's the rest of the story?

0 of 3 people found this review helpful

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